DusitD2 Binhu in Changzhou marks the first step in strengthening Thailand-based Dusit International's presence in the mainland.

　　Under its new Chinese joint venture company, Dusit Fudu Hotels & Resorts, the Thai hotelier has now soft-opened the dusitD2 Fudu Binhu Hotel Changzhou in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

　　Located in the city of Changzhou, with views over West Taihu Lake, the modern hotel features 79 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake, plus a Chinese restaurant, coffee shop, delicatessen and bar. For the MICE market, the hotel will feature four meeting rooms and a 518m² ballroom.

　　“We are proud to present dusitD2 Fudu Binhu Hotel Changzhou, the first of many properties to come under the Dusit Fudu Hotels & Resorts management company,” said Chen Li Bin, chairman of Dusit Fudu. “We look forward to developing the Dusit brands here, bringing the gracious hospitality it is synonymous with to the Chinese market.”

　　Dusit formed the new management company with the Changzhou-based Qiao Yu Group in January 2013, and expects to expand rapidly. The company has set a target of operating 30 properties in mainland China within the next three years. Its major shareholders include Dusit International, Changzhou Qiao Yu Group and noted hospitality veteran Giovanni Angelini, former CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

　　The dusitD2 Fudu Binhu Hotel Changzhou also becomes only the third dusitD2 hotel in the world and the first outside Thailand. Five more dusitD2s are being developed in the UAE, Thailand, Kenya, India and the US.